The Duchess of Kent in North Wales Aberystwyth and Barmouth Stations Visited THE Duchess of Kent made a two-day tour through North Wales on the llth and 12th of July. Her tour was comprehensive; she visited places like the National Library of Wales, Harlech Castle, the Oakley Slate Quarries and inspected detachments of such bodies as the St. John Ambulance Brigade and the Red Cross. She also saw the life-boat crews at Aberystwyth and Barmouth.

At Aberystwyth she was presented to the coxswain and crew, who were drawn up in front of the life-boat, the Frederick Angus. This was one of the last "ceremonial" appearances of this life-boat, as Aberystwyth is shortly to have a new one, the Aquala Wren.

The Duchess chatted with members of the crew, and shook hands with them.

At Barmouth, the crew, in uniform, stood to attention carrying their oars as the Duchess approached in her car, and she waved to them as she passed.

This will have been a busy life-boat year for the Duchess of Kent. In March and May she named two new life-boats, at New Brighton and Mar- gate respectively (see page 207). She presided at the Annual Meeting of the Institution on March 14th, and on December 5th she will attend the Life-boat Ball at the Savoy Hotel, London, organised by the Ladies' Committee of the Central London Branch.

A Gift from Abadan LAST year Bexhill-on-Sea held a life- boat flag day for the first time. This year permission for the day was refused.

The honorary secretary of the branch, anxious to do all that he could to make up the loss, wrote to an old friend of his who was marine superintendent of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in Abadan, Persia, and sent him a life- boat collecting box for his office. As a result he has received a cheque for £83 14s. Of this sum £3 10s. came from the collecting box and £80 4s. from a special collection at a dance of the shipping office, held in Abadan.

A Distinguished Gift from New Zealand MR. W. J. JORDAN, High Commissioner for New Zealand in the United King- dom, has given £1,000 to make a trust fund for Ramsgate life-boatmen and their widows.

Mr. Jordan was himself born at Ramsgate, and he said that he was making the gift in memory of his father, who once served in the Ramsgate and Margate life-boat crews.

A Life-boat Entente Calais Pays a Visit to Dover THE Honorary Secretary of the Dover station, Mr. Douglas Stewart, received this letter on the 31st of July from the President of the Calais life-boat station branch of the French Life-boat Society: "DEAR SIR, "Our Calais life-boat Marechal Foch will be coming to Dover Sunday, August 5th, 1951, on a training trip.

"Sailing has been fixed at 8a.m.

and E.T.A. at 10.30 a.m. weather permitting.

"On this occasion, I would very much appreciate to introduce to you our crew (eight men including the skipper and wireless operator), some of the members of our local Committee and myself.

"Hoping to receive very soon a favourable reply and thanking you in advance, "I am, Dear Sir, "Yours faithfully, (Signed] P. Drujon.

"The President." Mr. H. D. Hawksfield, Chairman of the Dover branch, promptly invited the whole French party to lunch as his personal guests. They accepted; and at about eleven o'clock on Sunday morning, the 5th of August, the French life-boat steamed up to the Eastern Arm. Here M. Drujon, his committee members and the officers and crew of the Marechal Foch, were welcomed by the leading officials of the Dover branch, with the coxswain, second coxswain, and members of the Dover life-boat crew. Each party inspected the other's life-boat and the French party (which included two lady members of the Calais committee) were most enthusiastic about the Dover life-boat Southern Africa.

After a cordial lunch, the Marechal Foch departed at two o'clock; and the Dover committee were invited to return the visit to Calais next year.

Cromer's Three Crows A DISCUSSION took place at a meeting of the Cromer Urban District Council last June about providing an official coat of arms for the town. One of the Councillors, Mr. R. T. Kidd, said that he had previously mentioned the fact that the church and Cromer's life-boats should be represented in an official crest. " There you have something of which we are proud," he said, "we have a representation of the life and policy of the people." However, weight of sentiment for keeping Cromer's present unofficial crest of three crows prevailed; and for the present at least their wings will continue to fly over Cromer.

Two Stained-Glass Windows Two stained-glass windows containing life-boat subjects were dedicated last year in Sussex.

The first was dedicated in St.

Clements Church, Hastings on the 3rd of December. The extreme right- hand pane shows a fisherman in life- boat oilskins and a kneeling woman, beside a sailing boat. The fisherman is Coxswain Ned Adams of the Hastings life-boat. (See page 220.) The other window was dedicated by the Bishop of Dover on the 6th of August, 1950, in the Church of St.

George the Martyr, Deal. It was designed by Donald B. Taunton of John Harlands, to replace a window destroyed by enemy action on the 22nd of October, 1942. The bottom pane shows the Walmer life-boat in a rough sea. (See page 221.) Two Bundles of Notes AN anonymous donor has sent a pack- age to the Institution containing two bundles, each of 500 £l notes. All that accompanied this generous gift of £1,000 was a short note, reque tins? acknowledgment in the London Times Personal Column, Saturday, August llth, as follows: Received—''Ship Ahoy all weathers." The Stout of Heart MB. G. A. C. WEDLAKE of liridgwater has written a life-boat play called The Stout of Heart. It was first performed in the Summer Original Play Festival, when it was placed second in order of merit. It has since been performed at the Youth Drama Festival and won the Bridgwater Trophy jointly in a tie with another play.

A Legacy from a Naval Pensioner A NAVAL officer, who died in the Royal Naval Hospital at Plymouth last June, has left his savings, except for two legacies, to the Life-boat Service.

A Film from Iceland THE National Life-Saving Association of Iceland has sponsored a silent film, entitled Rescue at Latrabjarg, showing the actual rescue of the crews of two British trawlers wrecked off Iceland, the Sargon of Grimsby and the Dhoon of Fleetwood. The film was shown for .the first time in Great Britain on the 30th of January, 1951, at the Hull Uni- versity Film Society.

Portrait on the Cover THE portrait on the cover is of Cox- swain Martin Gardner of Anstruther.

He was appointed coxswain in 1938, served in the Forces throughout the war of 1939-1945, and took up his duties as coxswain once more in 1946..